Saturday, April 2, 2011

Portobello and Camden

On Saturday I went to Portobello Road. I got there about 8 a.m. and it was nice. By 10 a.m. it was a madhouse!I went to visit a friend in his booth and to browse. I was at the high-end of the street. The other end, I was told, is more "boot sale" like. Loads of amazing jewelry, silver and antique white linens, antique clothing, and lace. There were also food stalls, souvenir stands, and a large vegetable stand.This house was on the way to the market area. George Orwell also lived on this street.One window featuring colorful china. And, this amazing shop had every window covered in rows of antique sewing machines, mostly hand-crank models. It was amazing. I saw another store of this brand in Camden with the same amazing window display. After Portobello, I decided to stay out of central London and away from the strike and march, so I went over to Camden. This was the first store I entered.Then I went to the Stables Market.If you're in my age group and from Chicago, you'll remember Pipers Alley. Well, this is like Piper's Alley on steroids (without the carved candles). The place was jumping, full of interesting fashions, beads, people and incense. Oh, and large brass horse sculptures everywhere.I spent ages wandering up and down the meandering aisles. This market is where I got my henna tattoo.Here's one of the indoor streets in the market. I walked my feet off by the time I got back, but I had loads of fun. Camden also had an outdoor market and loads of shops that looked quite interesting.

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